Monday, March 23, 2015

Study: Not Many Disco Songs About Daytime

NEW YORK—In perhaps the most comprehensive analysis yet of the genre’s lyrical content, a Columbia University study published Friday found that very few disco songs have been written about daytime.

The survey, which encompassed every known disco album or single released from 1973 through 1980, determined that the once-popular dance music celebrated the night, the nightlife, and boogieing till the break of day far more frequently than it did the hours between sunrise and sunset.

“We found extensive evidence of disco behaviors starting in the evening, peaking around midnight, and continuing until the sun comes up, but virtually no indication that such activities were ever engaged in beyond that point,” said lead author and musicologist Christopher Choy, adding that even the most passionate disco vocals stopped short of urging people to dance past dawn.

“As far as we can tell, the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. hold almost no interest whatsoever for the average disco diva or anyone else connected to that style of music.”